MOTORISTS who use the Dartford tunnel toll route could face triple the costs – if the upcoming Lower Thames Crossing mega project is built using private finance.
Transport analysts suggest that funding for the new crossing, a 14.3-mile route connecting Essex and Kent with an estimated price tag of £9.2 billion, could result in daily fees at the Dartford Crossing soaring to £8.10.
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Currently, cars pay £2.50 to use the crossing, but the Transport Action Network (TAN) suggests fees could rise to £8.10 for cars and £14 for lorries to cover the Lower Thames Crossing’s construction and financing costs.
However, National Highways has dismissed these claims as speculative – claiming that tolls would remain in line with current rates but adjusted for inflation.
The Lower Thames Crossing project, approved in March, would massively ease congestion by providing an alternative route for vehicles between Essex and Kent.
Specifically, the huge, motorway-style tunnel would link the town of Tilbury in Essex to Medway in Kent, would also be connected to the A2 and M2 in Kent, as well as the A13 and M25 in Essex.
It would also provide transport links between London and crossings to Dover – which, of course, account for half of the goods traded between Britain and mainland Europe.
While business groups like the Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK welcome the infrastructure as critical for reducing congestion and improving freight reliability – they stress the importance of keeping tolls reasonable.
Environmental campaigners have argued that the crossing could further add to pollution and congestion.
Despite the controversy, the Lower Thames Crossing is viewed as a critical addition to Britain’s transport network, with some comparing its potential toll structure to that of the recently tolled Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels in east London.
According to figures, the Dartford Crossing generated £221.5m in tolls and penalty charges in 2023 to 2024, with £134.9m in operating costs.
As reported by The Guardian, Chris Todd, the director of TAN, said: “Politicians have given the impression that building the Lower Thames Crossing will be pain-free.
“In addition to the construction chaos, the huge drain on the public finances, the cost of private finance is likely to be high.
“On even the cheapest PFI deal, the tolls at Dartford and on the new crossing will have to treble.
“That’s a huge hit for the travelling public. Most people will still have to use the Dartford Crossing yet will be paying three times what they are now, for very little noticeable benefit.”
In response, the National Highways said: “These numbers are untrue.
“As the planning application for the project is made clear, charges will be applied at the same rate as the Dartford Crossing.”
The Dartford Crossing, one of the busiest bridges in Europe, links the counties of Essex and Kent via the cable-stayed Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which stands 137 metres high and carries southbound traffic and two 0.8-mile-long tunnels for northbound journeys.
According to statistics, up to 180,000 vehicles use the bridge during its busiest times, although it was originally designed for 135,000 vehicles a day.
Its daily average works out at approximately 150,000 vehicles.
Almost 40% of those vehicles are HGVs carrying freight – a much higher proportion than on other major roads.
